Two persons, including a naval staffer, died in toxic gas leak onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Friday at Karwar Naval base in Karnataka. The condition of two others injured was stable and constantly being monitored in the Naval Hospital, Karwar, said officials.
Inducted into the Indian Navy two years back, the 45,000 tonne aircraft carrier witnessed the first accident at 5.00 pm on Friday whilst the ship was undergoing maintenance repairs at the naval base.
Maintenance work was being undertaken in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) compartment. Due to inhalation of the toxic fumes, four personnel (two naval sailors and two civilian workers) were evacuated to Naval Hospital at Karwar.
Two personnel, namely Rakesh Kumar Shipwright Artificer Class 4, and Mohandas Kolambkar, an employee of M/s Royal Marine, succumbed due to gas inhalation. The next of kin of the deceased were informed. The condition of the other two personnel is stable.
The Navy has ordered an enquiry into the incident. Action has been taken to render the compartment and area on the ship safe, Navy officials said.
The Navy inducted the aircraft carrier after it went for major refitment according its requirements in Russia. Earlier known as carrier Gorshkov, the ship cost the exchequer more than 3.1 billion dollars.
The ship has a squadron of MIG-39 fighter jets besides facilities for naval version of Tejas aircraft. It will be inducted in some months.
The ship sailed non-stop for more than a month from Russia to Karwar, the ship’s mother base two years back for induction into the Navy. It is operational since then. The Navy, at present, has two aircraft carrier including INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat. It is in the final stages of its operational life.